A Chicago day care teacher was taken into federal custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday morning, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a statement disputing the narrative that the facility was targeted.
The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. at the Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center in the North Center neighborhood, with video showing agents pulling the woman from the facility.
DHS Disputes “Day Care Raid” Narrative
In a statement released on Wednesday, Homeland Security offered a detailed counter-account of the events, asserting that the day care itself was not the target of the operation.
The agency stated that ICE law enforcement did not target a day care but were instead attempting to conduct a targeted traffic stop of the female suspect, identified as an “illegal alien from Colombia.”
According to DHS:
- Officers attempted to pull over the vehicle (registered to the woman) using sirens and emergency lights, but the male driver refused to stop.
- The driver and the female passenger (the teacher) fled into a shopping plaza and then ran into the day care, allegedly attempting to barricade themselves and “recklessly endangering the children inside.”
- The woman was arrested inside a vestibule, not in a classroom or the main school area.
- Upon her arrest, she allegedly lied about her identity.
- She claimed she did not know the man driving her car, despite the vehicle being registered in her name.
DHS stated that information regarding the male assailant and any criminal charges are forthcoming.
Video vs. Official Statement
While the video captured agents pulling the teacher from the facility, identified as an infant teacher at Rayito de Sol, the DHS statement shifts the context of the arrest, claiming the suspects were fleeing law enforcement and used the school as an attempt to evade custody.
The incident has generated significant community concern over the use of sensitive locations like child care centers for enforcement operations.
Watch the video below:
What People Are Saying: Community and Congressional Reaction
The incident drew immediate and furious responses from parents, local activists, and high-level congressional representatives who accused the federal agency of going “rogue” and traumatizing children.
Maria Guzman, a parent at the day care, told reporters Wednesday: “There were children in the building. There were babies in the building. They came into the building, understanding it was a day care. Federal agents have to be held accountable for entering the establishment without consent. They did not have a warrant. This terror needs to end.”
Representative Mike Quigley, speaking on Wednesday, stated: “This woman is a trusted, loved member of her community, with a work permit, who has dedicated her life to caring for children. What happened today at Rayito de Sol has left children, their families, and the community traumatized.”
Representative Delia Ramirez, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, claimed: “They didn’t just walk in chasing one person, they went into multiple rooms asking and looking for teachers, while children were present. This is an agency that has gone rogue.”
